Hello OTOM
CS Magazine
November, 2007
Written by Liz Grossman

“It’s a reflection of moto,” Chef Daryl Nash says of OTOM, the Fulton Market District restaurant where he’s been creating upscale comfort food since it opened this summer. Maybe that explains why I walked right into moto while looking for its sister restaurant OTOM (pronounced “autumn”). After all, they are right next to each other and, from the outside, look almost identical. But when it comes to food, OTOM’s fare is far from moto’s lasers and liquid nitrogen. Nash, who was moto’s sous chef for three years before moving next door, calls it “a full menu flip” and a complement to the science lab-inspired degustation. “OTOM is more approachable, more comfortable,” says Adriana Carrasco, who owns both restaurants with husband Joseph De Vito. “You can just walk right in.”

And once you find the place, you can certainly walk in and feel right at home, as the vibe is low-key, with nary a prix fixe in sight. That doesn’t mean you should show up looking like a schlub: OTOM still has that see-and-be-seen a Fulton Market restaurant simply can’t escape, with the prerequisite hip decor. A multi-striped floor-to-ceiling curtain backs the rear dining area. The Miami-inspired dining room features white tables topped with vases that sprout a single daisy and plastic Tang-orange chairs that pop in the otherwise sparse space. A high-top communal dining table in the lounge area looks more like an art installation than a seating area, but it comfortably accommodates up to 14 guests who want to be in the center of the action.

Instead of the edible menus and polymer boxes found at moto, OTOMs equally attentive servers deliver hearty, contemporary comfort food offered at a far lower price point. You may be tempted to overlook a ubiquitous menu item like Trio of Miniature Burgers ($12), but Nashs tasty trifecta toppings include bacon and cheddar, mushroom and Swiss and a fried quail egg, with an addictive stack of shoestring potatoes and homemade ketchup and mustard on the side. We also loved Chinook Salmon Ceviche ($14), three large wonton crisps piled high with chunks of marinated salmon, creamy coconut milk and garlic chili paste. Entrees include hearty goodness like mac and cheese, pot pies and braised dishes that are more haute than home-style when it comes to presentation and portion size. The Macaroni and Cheese ($14), made with rosemary white cheddar and topped with a Parmesan-panko crumble, is served in a small cast-iron pot that fits inside a rectangular wooden tray. The cold weather-perfect dish of Short Ribs Ravioli ($19) features melt-in-your-mouth meat and safe goat cheese stuffed into three homemade ravioli topped with candied sweet potatoes and brown butter puree. Vegetarians aren’t totally left in the dust, with items like tofu topped with moto-inspired freeze-dried English peas ($16).

While starters and entrees shine, we were disappointed with dessert. OTOMs anti-climactic, deconstructed Banana Split ($9) left us longing for the old-fashioned original. Luckily, the sweet cocktails made up for it, with selections like Oh’s Geisha ($12), a concoction of Midori, Aperol, yuzu and a candied violet rim, and the Autumn Spice ($12), a puree of sweet potato butter, soju, pumpkin spice and half & half garnished with a candy pumpkin. The creamy, comforting drink reminded us of, well, autumn.